Official statements from the Chinese or Japanese government

Japan Protests China as Y-9 Plane Breaches Airspace for First Time

Aug 26, 2024, 09:40 AM

Japan lodged a strong protest against China after a Chinese military aircraft breached Japanese airspace for the first time on record. The incident occurred on Monday morning when a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane entered Japanese territorial airspace near the Danjo Islands close to Kyushu. In response, Japan scrambled fighter jets to intercept the aircraft. The Japanese Defense Ministry confirmed the breach and described it as a significant escalation, noting that previous incidents had only involved Chinese aircraft entering Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) rather than its territorial airspace. The Japanese government has communicated its protest to Beijing through diplomatic channels. The breach was reported by Kyodo and occurred near Nagasaki Prefecture.